Pistols
Call of Duty 4 doesn't give stats for pistols, so we had to guess based on in-game descriptions, experience, and our understanding of how the game tends to balance damage and clip size. Pistols constitute your default secondary weapon if you aren't using Overkill; they have the advantage of giving you a quick draw, so you pull them out faster than with any other weapon. Snipers who forego Overkill in favor of UAV Jammer or some other Tier 2 Perk will rely on pistols to take out nearby enemies. They're also what you'll be using when your Last Stand perk activates when you take fatal nonexplosive damage, so a certain element of conscious choice is necessary. Of course, you can always drop the pistol in favor of a better weapon you found on the ground... M9: M9 (Beretta 92FS) Accuracy: low/medium Damage: low Range: close Fire Rate: n/a Mobility: 12 / 12 Clip Size/Reserve Ammo: 15/30 Recoil: very low cluster Reload Time: 1.6 Seconds / 1.9 Seconds Empty 20-40 Range: 250-500 / 150-350 SD Rate of Fire:'''1200 RPM single '''Penetration: Small / Small Bullet Location Damage Multiplier: Head (1.4) / Neck: (1.0) / Torso: (1.0) / Stomach: (1.0) / Limbs (1.0) Hip Accuracy: Stand (3-6) / Crouch (2.5-5) / Prone (2-4) This Italian-made U.S. Military 9mm pistol is undoubtedly the weakest of the bunch, but can also fire the most shots before reloading, which is important if it's all you have to rely on against multiple enemies until you can find a better dropped weapon (or in Last Stand). Aim for the head to make the most of your large clip. The standard service pistol in real life. In the game, it has the biggest clip, but is the weakest of all the pistols. Basically rapid-fire with this gun, because it is weak you're going to need to get as many rounds into the enemy as you can. It shares ammo with the MP5, so the M9 is a good choice in combination with the MP5 so you don't have to use bandolier. Other than that, because of it's weakness, I would not recommend this pistol. Recoil is not too much of a problem with this gun, but if you're aiming for the head you might want to slow down, as the bullets still have the potential to miss. It still recoils, even if it isn't much. USP .45: Heckler & Koch USP .45 Accuracy: low/medium Damage: medium Range: close Fire Rate: n/a Mobility: 12 / 12 Clip Size/Reserve Ammo: 10/20 Recoil: low vertical Reload Time: 1.6 Seconds / 1.9 Seconds Empty 20-40 Range: 450-1000 / 250-650 SD Rate of Fire:'''1200 RPM single '''Penetration: Small / Small Bullet Location Damage Multiplier: Head (1.4) / Neck: (1.0) / Torso: (1.0) / Stomach: (1.0) / Limbs (1.0) Hip Accuracy: Stand (3-8) / Crouch (2.5-8) / Prone (2-8) You may remember this pistol from Half-Life 2 and CounterStrike. A favorite of special forces, the USP gives you decent clip size and good accuracy. Consider silencing this one, since you'll retain decent damage while gaining the benefit of silenced shots. This pistol has quite a handy clip, 12 bullets. A few less than the M9, yes, but also more powerful. You can still spam with it, but you won't have to do it as much as with the M9 because this is a 2-3 hit kill gun. I would recommend slowing down a little, and once you're aiming at them then open fire. Many find this gun better than the Desert Eagle, although it might not have as much power it still has a decent amount of power and can fire many more shots before it has to be reloaded. Recoil isn't too bad, but some might be looking for an absolutely no recoil pistol. M1911 .45: Colt M1911 .45 Accuracy: low/medium Damage: medium Range: close Fire Rate: n/a Mobility: 12 / 12 Clip Size/Reserve Ammo: 8/24 Recoil: very low cluster Reload Time: 1.6 Seconds / 1.9 Seconds Empty 20-40 Range: 350-900 / 250-500 SD Rate of Fire:'''1200 RPM single '''Penetration: Small / Small Bullet Location Damage Multiplier: Head (1.4) / Neck: (1.0) / Torso: (1.0) / Stomach: (1.0) / Limbs (1.0) Hip Accuracy: Stand (3-6) / Crouch (2.5-5) / Prone (2-4) The second throwback to Call of Duty's WWII years (but still in active military and law enforcement service worldwide today), this pistol has a smaller clip than the USP but better grouping. Decide for yourself which one suits your needs. Has a tiny bit more power than the USP .45, but not a ton more. It has the lowest recoil of all the pistols, which is it's biggest bonus. This is probably the best gun for hardcore, it works well silenced and packs enough punch for a one hit pistol kill, and just make your shots count and you won't really need a large clip. Has 8 bullets, a fair amount lower than the USP, but if you like to use pistols more tactically and take more time with your shots instead of spamming, this is the pistol for you. Low recoil, higher damage, and clip size really won't matter if you make your shots count. If you encounter enemies at close range, too, feel free to aim wherever you want, as recoil really isn't a problem with this gun. (Note: The M1911 is unlocked at Rank 16 Gunnery Sergeant) "Gold" Desert Eagle: Israel Military Industries Desert Eagle Accuracy: medium Damage: high Range: close Fire Rate: n/a Mobility: 12 / 12 Clip Size/Reserve Ammo: 7/14 Recoil: moderate/high vertical Reload Time: 1.96 Seconds / 2.1 Seconds Empty 30-50 Range: 350-1200 / No Silencer Rate of Fire:'''1200 RPM single '''Penetration: Small / Small Bullet Location Damage Multiplier: Head (1.4) / Neck: (1.0) / Torso: (1.0) / Stomach: (1.0) / Limbs (1.0) Hip Accuracy: Stand (2-4) / Crouch (1.5-3) / Prone (1-2) This .50 caliber hand cannon made for Magnum Research is used mainly for competition and sport. Because of its considerable recoil and small magazine, real-life militaries and law enforcement tend not to use it, despite what CounterStrike may lead you to believe. Also, the .50 caliber Action Express pistol round, only slightly smaller than the average thumb, is overkill for a human target. Given that, every soldier in the CoD4 world must have bionic wrists to be able to fire the Deagle as quickly and accurately you can in multiplayer. Use this pistol if you like to go for pistol kills frequently instead of using the pistol as a second or last resort. It's very loud and not silenceable, so don't use it if you favor stealth. To account for the recoil, aim at your target's middle or lower torso and fire as fast as you can; they should go down in short order. You'll get a separate golden Deagle when you hit rank 55; there's no performance difference between it and the normal gun. Because this is a .50 caliber gun, it packs the biggest punch. It is a very strong pistol and has the best range, so consider this for your sniper class. However, it has huge recoil and the clip isn't as big as liked, so if the target is far away or in motion, take time with your shots. If they are close, aim around the torso if not a bit higher and spam shots. The recoil will make the bullets go higher than wanted, but if you are aiming at the middle of the body you should still hit them. It would be idiotic to use this as a stealth class however. The muzzle flash is bright and the sound is loud, and this gun is not silenceable. If you like to use pistols a lot, this is a great choice due to its power. This is a 2 hit kill gun, unless you get a headshot, then it's 1 hit. Of course if they are using Juggernaut then no, but for everyone else yes. You might have seen this gun with a shiny golden finish. This gun can be unlocked golden at level 55. Many people love it with a golden finish, so remember, if you prestiege you will lose it. Many people prestiege and then are unhappy with their decision simply because t hey have to work forever to get their golden Desert Eagle back. Notes: -The regular Desert Eagle is unlocked at Rank 43 Brigadier General -The Gold Desert Eagle (Shown in the picture below) is unlocked at Rank 55 Commander BakeR 20:23, 8 August 2009 (UTC)